Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with healthcare management systems. The management of information is important in many aspects of many businesses. In the healthcare industry, the management of information and data becomes even more important. Typically, data is maintained in paper form by healthcare providers. Once a patient has a test conducted, a paper report is generated with the results of the test. These reports are then stored in different locations under different systems for maintaining their integrity.
The storage of paper information poses dilemmas for specialized healthcare needs, such as cardiological care. Patients with cardiological problems often have multiple tests performed during doctor's visits or experience more frequent tests than other patients. These tests can examine different aspects of their condition and allow doctors to determine different methods of treatment. Many times, however, these tests must be conducted at different locations or by different doctors. Because a paper system is more difficult to relay from provider to provider, the files are usually maintained by the provider who performs the tests. Thus, when a doctor needs to examine multiple tests at the same time, the doctor must contact the various service providers or locations in order to retrieve the test results. This presents difficulty in performing a comprehensive diagnosis, and can lead to inefficiencies and delays in clinical analyses.